For those that grew up in the Turtlemania craze, what to you think of the infamous first NES game?

[Ifrit]

Just to check again if this game holds up, just played it again (old school, no save states) and managed to beat it without losing a continue or even a single turtle (few close calls though), I did spent some time farming the scrolls for all turtles though (finally making mike and ralph not useless), this didn't take as long as I remember.

I was surprised I still remembered where the route to get all the bombs on the water level, and the road to finish the 3rd Level.

4th level I went with my gut on where to go, I just remembered that you have to go for the levels that scroll to the right to go forward, and you eventually get to the end, the closing spike walls near the end are still nerve wraking.

5th level got lucky with the technodrome and found it in my first try with all my turtles in good health.

Final level went almost full scroll weapon while avoiding the jetpack guys specially on the last corridor, shredder is easy with the scroll too.

The game does hold up and it's still great, and the music slaps

 

[Cipherr]

I loved it because I was a kid and it had the ninja turtles in it.

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This. I was a little little guy when we would rent this game. I played the hell out of it. Only beat the water stage a handful of times but loved it. I look back now and the game design was terrible, the missing popular characters were strange, and its like they put as little effort as possible into the game.

Didnt even include the theme song. Geez.

 

[BenedictBlakbrn]

I played it a lot as a kid, loved the music but knew it was janky especially the way enemies would respawn the second the were offscreen at times. Only ever made it to the technodrome, never beat it. Once the 2nd game came out I never went back to it.

 

[hiredhand]

Like many have said people's perception of the game has been significantly distorted by the AVGN video. I don't remember the game being especially hard for an NES game and NES definitely had tons of way worse and way jankier licensed games.

 

[onpoint]

I have nostalgia for it, but I don't love it today. The game is bad for so many reasons. If I want a challenging but fair NES experience from Konami I will run Castlevania and try to no death it. That's a lot more fun.

 

[UltimateHigh]

I liked it but couldn't get past the water level.

I was also easy to please.

I definitely liked the subsequent turtle games more though.

 

[joffocakes]

Was one of the first games I ever played and I adored it. The music was really catchy too. Really struggled with level 3 as a kid because I didn't understand how the rooftop ropes worked. Didnt find it much easier when returning as an adult either to be fair.

When the arcade game came out I thought it was amazing (especially the cartoony falls down sewer holes) but in hindsight I much prefer the original NES game.

 

[Ubik]

I can still hear the sound effect of getting electrocuted by the seaweed. Don't think I ever got to the technodrome. I was always drained of health/Turtles after the water level whenever I beat it. I always just understood back then that you would probably not beat the majority of videogames that you played, and TMNT was one of the better ones I couldn't beat. Loved the beat'em up games way more though (plus I could beat them).

 

[Obi Wan Jabroni]

Click to shrink...

I had never seen this before and I'm dying. :)

 

[Sulik2]

I remember dying at the underwater level over and over again as a little kid and eventually giving up on the game. I was like 6/7. I still love the actual design of this game, pseudo open world with levels. Wish we had gotten a turtles game in that format that was good.

 

[UltraGashInferno]

Game very very memorably did NOT scratch the itch for a Turtles game. All was forgiven with the sequel, which is just incredible still

Manhattan Project ruled too

The adventure style of the first game couldve worked, but it's got so much weirdness.

 

[Ecotic]

I was like 5 and it was one of those "well I guess this is how life is" kind of moments. Like, here's a game that's about Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but only kind of. The box art doesn't have the different eye color bandanas, and the game doesn't feel connected to the show. And it's supremely hard. So umm, you're just going to have to put some effort into liking it, because video games are $80 and you'll get two of them a year. But if you read Nintendo Power and close your eyes, you can imagine playing other games, and they might be awesome. Who knows.

 

[Rookhelm]

Hard to say if the game is good or not since it was incredibly difficult, but a lot of NES games were back then.

Punch out, Battle toads, ninja gaiden, Simon's Quest.

All practically unbeatable. But we still played them a ton

 

[honavery]

I thought it was the shit till I saw the arcade game.
I personally never made it past the swimming level, but had a friend get to the technodrome.

 

[Mdot]

I got it along side my NES and still have not come close to beating it.

 

[thefro]

It wasn't a great game but it was definitely in the top 25% of third party games for the system at the time. I got to the technodrome a couple times but never beat the boss to get inside.

Obviously back then we thought the Arcade game was incredible and everyone wanted that on the NES next, but we weren't disappointed with the first game (my buddy was a huge TMNT fan).

AVGN did a number on this and Castlevania II's reputation (with Castlevania II being considered a minor classic by most before that review).

Neither of them are bad games by NES standards, just had some frustrating things that everyone who played them could relate to.

 

[pakbeka]

Even after literally decades since Iast played it I can still remember quite a few of the songs

 

[halcali]

I played this game upon release and loved it!
You have to understand what it was like to play a video game based on TMNT at that moment in time.

The music, the characters, the water stage (lol), and the dialogue boxes all added to a really unique atmosphere.
It was unforgettable, yet also wasn't a good game by 1989/90 standards.

Control is awkward and you only have 1 or 2 turtles that are useful (Don and maybe Leo).

Also, there were some very obtuse sections of the game that almost required a guide: Driving around in your Turtlemobile and shooting rockets.

My experience: 8 outta 10
The gameplay: 6 outta 10
The atmosphere: 9 outta 10

 

[entremet]

It wasn't a great game but it was definitely in the top 25% of third party games for the system at the time. I got to the technodrome a couple times but never beat the boss to get inside.

Obviously back then we thought the Arcade game was incredible and everyone wanted that on the NES next, but we weren't disappointed with the first game (my buddy was a huge TMNT fan).

AVGN did a number on this and Castlevania II's reputation (with Castlevania II being considered a minor classic by most before that review).

Neither of them are bad games by NES standards, just had some frustrating things that everyone who played them could relate to.

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I don't know about Castlevania II being a minor classic. It wasn't bad. Just obtuse.

NES sequels were so radical. Zelda II, Castlevania II, Super Mario Brothers. 2. It was an interesting time.

 

[James3D]

When I saw that on the sticker on the cartridge that the turtles had the all-white eyes, no pupils, I knew it was going to be too hard and not fun.

 

[darz1]

I loved this game as a kid and would play it repeatedly. I think I was a gluten for punishment. this and Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 were among my favourite NES games.

I liked the diversity of the gameplay and the levels, though admittedly now looking back it was janky.

The underwater level was really only hard until you learn the momentum of the water. After you get used to it the level becomes a breeze.

The following few worlds were great to explore but pretty punishing with constantly respawning enemies. And the enemies generally had two types, the brown shaded ones and the purple shaded ones. I think the purple ones were based on TMNT characters but the brown ones were not. The purple ones were easier so if I entered a building I would exit and re-enter until I got the easy ones.

I hated the Insta death from the lava and spikes in later stages. And the technodrome random location was a pain. But overall I enjoyed it quite a lot.

This game is really about memorisation. Each level and enemy had a particular pattern and placement. I would say overall it's a fair but challenging game that takes time to learn.

I always tried to finish any game my mother bought because I didn't want her to waste money so I really dedicated myself to learning and beating these games.

 

[asmith906]

I still have PTSD from the Dam level

 

[halcali]

the music for the water level is genius in how it makes you feel like you're underwater and are under immense pressure..

 

[skeezx]

as much as i'm inclined to shit on the game i have to applaud it for not being some Point A to B sidescroller with "Ninja Turtles" plopped on top

i prefer the brawlers but kind of a shame they never gave it a real sequel

 

[entremet]

A good video on what I'm talking about

Click to shrink...

Pretty god video! Just made some time to watch it. thanks for posting it.

 

[Cow Mengde]

Click to shrink...

What a classic.

 

[Deleted member 64609]

Great music and interesting mechanics, but I never beat it or felt particularly inclined to struggle with it.
Satisfaction of beating levels was pretty great though.

 

[kidtamagotchi]

We never owned the 1st TMNT game (or any TMNT game actually, even though we loved the Turtles. When you're poor you gotta make decisions/sacrifices on what games to get...), but we borrowed it/rented it a few times. I liked it...at first. I mean, it was a Ninja Turtles game! The music ruled! But it was not fun for me. I always got stuck at the underwater stage. I hated that level. I have nostalgia for the game now, but just for the music and the sound effects.

I actually would like to play a remastered version of this game. If they fix certain things in this game, I think it could be great!

I loved the Arcade and the NES port...to a certain extent. The port was too tedious for me, and my wrists would actually get cramps from playing it! The Manhattan Project is my favorite TMNT game EVER! Yes, I like it more than Turtles in Time!

 

[Barrel Cannon]

As an old ass gamer:

Everyone played this. It's one of the handful of games that was universal, no exceptions.

Everyone knew it was basically impossible, almost nobody finished it. Nobody cared, you played it anyway. If you were one of the lucky few that could beat it, you were a goddamned hero. "Finishing" the games you got on the NES was never a guarantee back then and most people didn't.

Click to shrink...

I feel this is important to consider. I feel like a lot of people forget the general outlook on games back then. Most of us here try to finish our games but I feel for the cast majority of people back then they didn't finish their games. It's still the case to a degree these days too but games are designed to not have roadblocks for the most part these days

 

[inner-G]

It's trash

Once TMNT the arcade game came out, we dropped the first game and forgot it like it had never existed.

 

[Danimaniac]

In hindsight as an adult it's not a great game for the difficulty and frustration. But as a kid I thought it was awesome as a fan of the show.

Turtles in Time blew my mind and was amazing, so I never looked back after that game.

 

[RockyBalboa_]

My first exposure was playing it on a Nintendo kiosk at K-Mart. Rented it a few times from a video shop, but otherwise didn't play it until years later.

Had the C64 version (obviously not as good as the NES). Got it on the NES many years later. I made it to the technodrome once as a teen..... didn't officially finish the game until I was in my 20s.

I liked it, but the arcade game was a better experience.

 

[Res-bot]

For a licensed game it had variety of game designs such as the top down view and the side-scrolling. I remember being amazed at the potential freedom to explore the city in the top down mode only to be killed by a enemy tank shortly afterwards.

But also for a licensed game it was very inaccurate to the source material that made TMNT so popular at the time: the 80's kids cartoon. For example, the box-art was inspired by the comics rather than the cartoon.

TMNT 2 was a better licensed game.

 

[World B. SkiFree]

I like it and still fire it up from time to time (haven't finished it ... yet?). My friends and I normally did okay with the dam(n) level but in reference to the OP, I think I normally taper off and get lost right after.

as much as i'm inclined to shit on the game i have to applaud it for not being some Point A to B sidescroller with "Ninja Turtles" plopped on top

i prefer the brawlers but kind of a shame they never gave it a real sequel

Click to shrink...

Not a sequel or remake, WayForward's TMNT Danger of the Ooze is an (intentional) callback or homage to the style of NES TMNT 1. I have played it on the 2DS; it is neat but has a strange/confusing save game component.

 

[Epcott]

What did I think about it?

Water level was hard as shit, but I stuck with it.

The over-world warehouse level had The Beatles "Come Together" sound that I loved.

Finally made it to the Technodrome, and it was a nightmare.

Then Turtles II: The Arcade Game came out, was the talk of the town, and Ultragames Turtles was forgotten. I still love that ridiculous brutal game.

 

[Damaniel]

Too damn hard. Great gameplay, graphics and sound, but the difficulty was far, far too high.

If they had just scaled that back some, it would have been an NES classic - now it's mainly that game that nobody could ever beat as a kid.

 

[Charsace]

Loved it as a kid but the water level with the bombs is hard as hell.

 

[qrac]

It was my second game for the NES after Mario/Duck Hunt cartridge. Thought it was good but could never beat it. Music in it was fantastic :-)

 

[Sixfortyfive]

This was the first game to teach me two very important lessions:

1) Don't expect the console game of any given license to play anything like the arcade game of the same name.
2) Don't expect licensed games to be good.

The dam stage isn't anything compared to the nonsense that comes afterward, btw.

I feel like most of its reputation is because of the AVGN more than anything.

Click to shrink...

AVGN probably colored the perception of a lot of younger players who never actually played the game, but honestly? I remember his review being pretty in-line with how I felt about the game.

 

[halcali]

Raph sucks.

 

[speiky]

Played and finished it in my amiga 500 with a joystick lol. Loved the game cause I was a huge turtles fan.

 

[dlemarc]

I played it a ton as a kid. I remember getting this as one of my first games in 89. I played it a ton as a kid, and I remember having fun with it, as well as being frustrated by other sections of the game. I definitely remember spamming the hell out of Donatello, but I never did stuff like leaving the sewers and coming back for pizzas. I got really good at completing the dam section, where I don't even have memories of failing that section. The overworld section with the steamrollers was always the worst for me. I only got to the giant mouser twice, and I only beat him once. Once I got the sequels, I never looked back.

 

[Indelible]

I hated it, barely felt like a turtles game to me. The sequels did a much better job of bringing the cartoon to the NES.

 

[Sixfortyfive]

I thought Digital Foundry's let's play of this game was pretty solid. They're not huge fans but it makes for an interesting enough hour of conversation.

 

[MoFo2]

30 years later and I have never completed it. Got as far as those flying laser guys in the Technodrome that always killed me.

The worst culprit for me was the jump in the sewers in the 3rd stage that you had to hold perfectly to the right on the d-pad. If you held slightly up you would do the swirl jump and end in the water, forcing you to go back and having to do a section all over again.

 

[Windu]

Way too hard. But still played it to death.

 

[Nakenorm]

When I jumped on the turtle train Turtles in Time was already out so I didn't really play much of anything else. I did have a turtles game on gameboy that I was fond of tho, might have been the port by Konami.

Did try and play trough the original nes title years later but just couldn't, felt way to archaic.

 

[Cosmic Schwung]

I thought Digital Foundry's let's play of this game was pretty solid. They're not huge fans but it makes for an interesting enough hour of conversation.

Click to shrink...

"They get stronger with how many hits they've taken"

WTF? I played this so much back in the day and never realised this.

 

[CreepingFear]

Made me hate water levels forever. FUCK!!!!!

 

[superNESjoe]

I think AVGN warped the opinion on this game. I don't remember it being massively hated back then, and I sure didn't have a problem with it. The reputation of the swimming section is so overblown.

I still enjoy this for what it is, and as a kid I loved it.